Benita, an African romance eBook

Still unsatisfied, Jacob Meyer, who was a most intrepid
person, determined to investigate the place himself,
a task of no little difficulty and danger, since proper
ladders were wanting, nor, had they existed, was there
anything to stand them on. Therefore it came to
this: a seat must be rigged on to the end of
the old copper chain, and be lowered into the pit
after the fashion of the bucket. But, as Benita
pointed out, although they might let him down, it was
possible that they would not be able to draw him up
again, in which case his plight must prove unfortunate.
So, when the seat had been prepared, an experiment
was made with a stone weighing approximately as much
as a man. This Benita and her father let down
easily enough, but, as they anticipated, when it came
to winding it up again, their strength was barely
sufficient to the task. Three people could do
it well, but with two the thing was risky. Now
Meyer asked—­or, rather, commanded—­the
Molimo to order some of his men to help him, but this
the old chief refused point blank to do.

First, he made a number of excuses. They were
all employed in drilling, and in watching for the
Matabele; they were afraid to venture here, and so
forth. At last Meyer grew furious; his eyes flashed,
he ground his teeth, and began to threaten.

“White man,” said the Molimo, when he
had done, “it cannot be. I have fulfilled
my bargain with you. Search for the gold; find
it and take it away if you can. But this place
is holy. None of my tribe, save he who holds
the office of Molimo for the time, may set a foot therein.
Kill me if you will—­I care not; but so
it is, and if you kill me, afterwards they will kill
you.”

Now Meyer, seeing that nothing was to be gained by
violence, changed his tone, and asked if he himself
would help them.

“I am old, my strength is small,” he replied;
“yet I will put my hand to the chain and do
my best. But, if I were you, I would not descend
that pit.”

“Still, I will descend it, and to-morrow,”
said Meyer.

XII

THE BEGINNING OF THE SEARCH

Accordingly, on the next day the great experiment
was made. The chain and ancient winding gear
had been tested and proved to be amply sufficient
to the strain. Therefore, nothing remained save
for Meyer to place himself in the wooden seat with
an oil-lamp, and in case this should be extinguished,
matches and candles, of both of which they had a large
supply.

He did so boldly enough, and swung out over the mouth
of the pit, while the three of them clutched the handles
of the winch. Then they began to lower, and slowly
his white face disappeared into the black depth.
At every few turns his descent was stopped that he
might examine the walls of the well, and when he was
about fifty feet down he called to them to hold on,
which they did, listening while he struck at the rock
with a hammer, for here it sounded very hollow.